The Miami Dolphins, like the rest of the NFL, are scheduled to hold training camps next month across the country, their biggest hurdle to clear in order for the league to be ready for kickoff to the 2020 season. For the Dolphins specifically, “excitement”should be the name of the game — this is a new year with plenty of new faces. Seeing them all together is the first step towards working to a more complete team and becoming a potential contender.
There are also plenty of questions to answer. Here are Miami’s three most pressing needs for 2020 entering training camp.
How much consideration will the Dolphins give to starting rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa?
The Dolphins took a leap of faith with the No. 5 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in hopes of finally resolving their long-term issues behind center. This pick would have been considered a slam-dunk if not for a dislocated hip that cast doubt on Tagovailoa’s resume. With Tua secured, the Dolphins must now decide how they want to handle him early in his career. The most likely avenue is for him to sit behind veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the year — the team was smitten by Fitzpatrick’s ability to energize a downtrodden roster en route to a 5-4 finish after an 0-7 start. If the 2020 season progresses and Miami falls off the pace in the playoff hunt, it would hardly be a surprise to see Tagovailoa get the call later in the year. But for the time being, consider Fitzpatrick’s status as the starting quarterback secure. If there weren’t a recovery from a major injury to be concerned about, this dynamic would likely look extremely different. But as is, the Dolphins should be in no rush to throw their prized prospect on the field.
How will Miami sort out their massive offensive line overhaul?
Miami’s offensive line play was horrendous in 2019. The team apparently got the memo, too — the Dolphins added two potential starters in free agency (Ereck Flowers from Washington and Ted Karras from New England) and added three more in the 2020 NFL Draft. 1st-round pick Austin Jackson feels like a lock to start at one tackle spot, as does top-40 overall pick Robert Hunt. Hunt, like many of Miami’s linemen, can play inside or outside — which will pose some fascinating combinations for Miami as the team looks to secure the combination of the best five possible starters up front. Look for incumbent Jesse Davis to be the only member of the unit to keep a starting job in 2020, although even he’s at risk thanks to Miami’s aggressive trade to secure OG Solomon Kindley early on the draft’s third day. Miami will also have a chance to work 2019 draft selection Michael Deiter into the mix at either guard or center. Dieter struggled throughout 2019 but that came amid instability on both sides of him as Miami’s starting left guard. The possibilities here are endless — Miami will work hard to find the right mix along the offensive front.
Will Miami’s expensive defensive overhaul gel in time for the start of the season?
The Dolphins have spent aggressively this offseason but with a key twist — they’ve front loaded much of their guaranteed money in the form of roster bonuses in 2020 to ensure ample cap flexibility for the 2021 offseason. That cap space will be useful as Miami continues their transition from underdogs to upstarts, but all that spending has brought fresh faces to the group and does stand to delay Miami’s chemistry on defense. The team identity on defense will be “in your face” coverage and collapsing the pocket — but the Dolphins will need to prove everyone is on the same page regarding terminology and overlapping responsibilities before the start of the season. There’s a lot of new pieces at play here.
